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Jackfruit — Fruit & seeds
Moraceae (fig family)LC · Least concern

Jackfruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.

Also known asCrisp jackfruitSoft jackfruit

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a fruit tree bearing fruit on its trunk, made of many sweet yellow arils around seeds; its fruit is the largest tree-borne fruit, the unripe fruit and seeds are also eaten, and its wood is prized.

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Oct 9, 2026
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Jackfruit — PlantJackfruit — Plant
Jackfruit — Fruit & seedsJackfruit — Fruit & seeds
Jackfruit — FlowersJackfruit — Flowers
Jackfruit — LeavesJackfruit — Leaves
Jackfruit — Trunk & barkJackfruit — Trunk & bark
Jackfruit — Seeds & young plantsJackfruit — Seeds & young plants
Jackfruit — PlantJackfruit — Plant
Jackfruit — Fruit & seedsJackfruit — Fruit & seeds
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Overview

A tree 10–20 m tall with sticky white latex and thick, glossy, ovate leaves. Unisexual flowers grow in clusters on the trunk and old branches (cauliflory); the very large, oval fruit has a knobby skin, weighs 10–50 kg and holds many aromatic yellow arils and brown seeds.

Ripe jackfruit is eaten fresh, dried or in ice cream; the unripe fruit goes into soups, salads and vegan braises; seeds are boiled or roasted. The yellow, durable, mildly fragrant wood is used for furniture and musical instruments.

Life cycle

From seed to product

Seed

Large brown seeds sown fresh sprout in 3–6 weeks; they lose viability quickly if dried.

Sapling

Light-loving saplings grow at a moderate pace; grafting keeps good jackfruit cultivars.

Flowering

Small flower clusters grow on the trunk and old branches, pollinated by wind and insects.

Fruiting

Fruits swell over 3–6 months and ripen with a strong aroma; grafted trees bear in 3–5 years.

Distribution & origin

Share of recorded occurrences by region
  • India (native)28%
  • Southeast Asia26%
  • Vietnam16%
  • Bangladesh · Sri Lanka14%
  • Brazil · East Africa16%

Chemical composition

Relative content in agarwood resin
  • Sugars (fructose, sucrose)Sweet ripe arils34%
  • Vitamin A · CAntioxidant, immunity22%
  • Potassium · magnesiumMain minerals18%
  • Lignans · flavonoidsIn leaves and wood26%

Uses

  • Ripe arils fresh, dried, ice cream, smoothies
  • Unripe fruit in soups, salads, vegan braises; seeds boiled or roasted
  • Wood for furniture and instruments; leaves as fodder

Properties

Fruit position
On trunk and old branches
Latex
White, sticky
Fruit
Very large, knobby, many arils

Habitat & conservation

Native to India's Western Ghats; likes a hot, humid tropical climate and deep, well-drained soil, grown in home gardens, plantations and village edges across Southeast Asia.

Conservation

Not globally threatened (IUCN: Least Concern). Widely grown throughout the tropics; supply comes mainly from cultivation.

References

  1. 1Plants of the World Online — Artocarpus heterophyllus — Kew Science, 2024
  2. 2IUCN Red List — Artocarpus heterophyllus — IUCN, 2019
  3. 3Jackfruit: Botany, Production and Uses — CABI, 2019
  4. 4Hình ảnh minh hoạ lấy từ Wikimedia Commons, tôn trọng giấy phép ghi kèm — Wikimedia Commons,
  5. 5Nguồn ảnh: Treeworld Wholesale (CC BY 2.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
  6. 6Nguồn ảnh: Aris riyanto (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
  7. 7Nguồn ảnh: Forest & Kim Starr (CC BY 3.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
  8. 8Nguồn ảnh: Daniel Di Palma (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
  9. 9Nguồn ảnh: Emőke Dénes (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
  10. 10Nguồn ảnh: Prenn (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
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